Friday, September 30, 2011

the girl noise maker in our home turns 5 today. FIVE...wha?
we were just celebrating:4321(that's the closest to 1 i have on here)

you keep getting older, and as much as i would love to keep you little forever, i'm excited to see what each year brings.

this year you:
-you still loveyourdog. and your dog still loves you. (even though dad thinks he's his dog...we all know who's dog he really is)

while taking pictures the dog came and sat with you as he often does whenever he can.

-you love babies
-you can't wait for friends to come home so you can go out to play with them
-if it's pink you will like it, and to mom's chagrin you love purple too. (i'm working on getting over it)
-YOU LOVE SHOES...like i have to say "no, you don't need those" a bazillion times and you usually come back with some kind of explanation as to why you HAVE to have them. like "but mom these have glitter!"
-you love your dad. he's funny and pretty cool in your eyes.
-you ask to have a book read, help with prayers, and a hug and a kiss (with an occasional "mom sing me a song") every single night before you go to bed.
-you love to dance when you think no one is looking. :)
-you love to sing when you think no one is listening.
-your dad and brothers think you talk too much, i think you talk just about right.
-white milk is your favorite drink
-you call Rapunzel "umpunzel" or when you are excited it comes out sounding a lot like "pretzel"
-you love to go shopping with me, sew with me, hang out with me, and i hope that never changes.
-you asked for a sewing machine just a few weeks ago. made me really proud.

you are a joy to have in our family, the boys (that means dad too) and i love you to pieces.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

okay so i'm really sorry that it took me till tonight to post this...a certain little four year old in our house is not going to be four anymore for much longer and i have been baking cupcakes and frosting cupcakes and well...i finally gave in to her wanting to get her ears pierced. she loves them, didn't cry, as a matter of fact she didn't even say ouch. where did she come from? hmm.
okay the winner of the fat quarter shop giveaway:
lucky # 208:

If I win I plan to use it for a quilt for my master bedroom. And maybe a little something else for my daughter's room.
leslie! congrats you get to make that little something for your daughter and that big something for yourself!
okay back to planning and wrapping and finishing frosting. :)

Monday, September 26, 2011

this month's giveaway brought to you by none other than the Fat Quarter Shop. and what are they giving away? a FAT QUARTER bundle of northcote by cabbages and roses. valued at $100.
yeah you are gonna wanna read more here.

Friday, September 23, 2011

well first off, THANK YOU so much for the warm acceptance and love of my upcoming book. :) i'm excited. and i'm excited to see some of you in houston in october. make sure to say hello. i'll be the one with big DOE eyes trying to hide the fact that i'm about to puke.
OKAY.

so you all saw my first "sewing with ruffle fabric" when i made my skirt (which i think i'm going to be sporting at the Sewing Summit Conference when i'll be trying not to puke in front of people while i talk about "setting up the shot" )
well this time around i made a cute little tote...

bags are accessories, and are an extension of your outfit, sometimes the bag is what completes the outfit. i like bags like.a.lot.
i wanted to see how this fabric would look as a hand bag and it did not disappoint. i was able to use it ONE day, because katie decided it HAD to be her new "back pack" for school. it caused a little contention between the two of us when i had to take it away from her so we could take pictures with our cute model.
she does in fact use it for school on occasion, but mainly it is used to tote around dolls and important drawings and books. i'm happy she likes it, but i was kind of wanting to use it too.

-cut ruffle fabric to 16"x 24" (cut base fabric at least 1/4" from the ruffle, cut on the larger 1/4" measurement) ***you can guess-timate on this measurement but do it a little larger side (as in 1/4" to 1/2" larger to avoid cutting ruffles). you don't want to cut on the ruffle or too close to the ruffle so when you sew the bag together it doesn't "grab" the ruffle. it will hang slightly different from the lining but it doesn't matter because the fabric is flouncy and lays beautifully after wards.)
-cut liner fabric and interfacing to 16"x 24"

-on the wrong side of the liner fabric, iron on the interfacing as per instructions that come with the interfacing.

-cut out two straps by cutting them from your strap fabric at 6" x 24" (i used the width and length of my cutting ruler, it makes for a really great strap size)

-step1 and 2.- fold in half length wise iron to create a crease
-step 3.- fold in one edge to the middle crease, and iron down.
-step 4.- fold in the other edge to the middle crease, and iron down.

-lastly fold in half again, and press with an iron.

-with matching thread (or close in color) sew a top stitch (close to the edge) of the open side of the strap, and then do the same to the other side.

-now we're going to place your strap on your inside liner fabric (on the right side). on the 16" side of your rectangle place your straps.

-decide where you want your straps to be placed. mine are placed 3"in from the raw edge.

-once the straps are in place where you want them, then pin (right sides together) your lining, straps, and ruffle fabric.
-do the same to the other 16" side of your bag.
-sew both 16" ends

-move your newly sewn ends to match in the middle as the picture shown above, with the lining being on one side and the ruffle fabric on the other side.

-make sure all your ruffles are facing the same way (you want to make sure the ruffles will be hanging "down" when you are done so pay attention to the direction of the ruffles when you start!)

-sew down your two long sides leaving at least a 4" opening in the lining side for easy turning inside out.

-turn inside out.

-push the liner inside the outer ruffle side.

-top stitch around the top of bag. (close to the edge) to give it a finished look.

-done!

want to dress it up? add a flower, or make a ribbon to hang from one of the straps.
grab your cute fall jacket, jeans, and HOT looking shoes...
and enjoy the change in the weather and being out with friends and having a cute accessory bag to go with you.
or in my case, lose to an almost 5 year old who will use it instead for a school back pack and library tote. :)

have a sweet weekend.
we will be having a sponsored giveaway come monday morning. you wont want to miss it!
we'll talk soon.

Monday, September 19, 2011

soooooo i am going to quilt market in houston this fall.
first time ever at fall market.
i have no need to be there except for really only one reason...
and well here it is. (oh i feel like i'm going to throw up)
i'm doing a school house for my first time ever book.
hold on let me sit down. catch my breath and talk myself through this...
okay.
i've been working in between being mom, writing a blog, writing patterns for my shop, and writing patterns for quilts and more magazine, on this one big project.
i had many nights writing , many days sewing, many MANY conversations with neighbors, friends, and family of "do you like this...or this?"
and to all who were involved in that process, thank you (*tears in eyes* i kind of wish i was still there in the middle of nowhere so my neighbors and i could do the happy dance together. miss you guys...)

yeah it's got a little bit of everything you could say...well because that's what i do...a little bit of everything. :)

as my husband and i sat and stared at the screen reading my name on the proposed cover i turned to him and said "it feels like that process was a dream." last year had a lot of ups and downs so to throw a book in there was crazy but it actually all worked out pretty good in the end. our world turned upside down with the news of my husband's company closing just a few weeks after my final deadline of shipping all my projects to be photographed. of course other deadlines of words to be edited, and final touches to be made still loomed but that was as most people like to say "not the hard part". at that time i became best friends with my editor and i even joked about having her come over for thanksgiving dinner this next year. the offer is still there and that friendship bond is still there even though that part of the process is over. ;)
i am truly humbled at the hard work that goes into making a book come to life. it starts with ideas, and ends with a lot of people in a lot of different departments who believe in your abilities and keep cheering you on through the process, and for that i thank Martingale for taking this novice at...well, basically everything book related...and making her...uh a little less novice and naive of the process. you are an amazing company to work with thank you.

but really this book would NOT of happened one single bit...if i didn't have my husband to constantly talk me off the ledge of the "i can't do this, i've bitten more than i can chew" cliff. because lets just say this, even without a book involved he has to talk me off that ledge more often than not, and i'm grateful to have such a supportive, funny, and encouraging spouse. i really am lucky to of married my very own best friend. "for like ever" right?

okay so be gentle...what do you think?
you gonna go to houston too? you gonna come see me?

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

remember a while back this last summer i showed you a little peek of what i was sewing? well it was this bag that i am so happy to finally be able to show you, and to give you a little of a bio of the bag.
fabric: is by cabbages and roses through moda available at quilt stores this month (look for it!)
use of bag: well obviously you can use it for the beach...but don't stop there! use it to go to farmers market, or use it to carry a blanket to sit on when you go to the park or to a friend's picnic. (i've used it for a church bag, and for the pool as well!)

when the lovely gals at cabbages and roses asked me to work with this fabric line i immediately gravitated towards the stripes. they were gorgeous in my eyes: simple and two toned, they were a recipe for simple classiness. they have an array of coordinating florals and solids in this line (ahem but i REALLY want the navy blue stripe next!!!)

um and speaking of simple classiness: check out their other products:

they have a beautiful collection of fabrics, clothing, and homegoods. when taking my pictures of the bag i wanted to keep the simple feel that they express in their photos. i love everything in the way they set up their shot, and i can tell you one thing, i am on the hunt for some lovely simple second hand slightly banged up chairs to use in photo shoots in the future.

ah yes, but lets get back to my bag shall we?
of course it being the middle of summer when i got to work with the fabric all i could think of was spending the whole day at the beach, like i did as a teen.
this bag would look so great at the beach. or on my shoulder while i wait on the dock to get on the boat, or at my feet while sitting on the bench reading a book.

the flower is detachable so you can have an even simpler look

my husband took one look at the bag and said "you could put katie in that! how big is that thing?" well its big.
and btw way to kill the "i'm a teen at the beach looking hot moment."

in this bag you can carry towels, swim suits, flip flops, sun screen, maybe a little snack, and has an inside pocket for your cell phone, keys and glasses for when you are in the water.

or you can take a quilt, t-shirt and flats to dress down after work to hit the park or the BBQ your friend is throwing to celebrate the change of the season.

or you can take all your kid's "shhhh toys" and snacks and coloring books and diapers and wet wipes to use it as a diaper bag.

or we can be realistic and say you can put basically everything minus the kitchen sink because you are a mom and you can find bandaids and long lost cheerios, half broken crayons, to do lists that were crumpled and lost, the spare key you've been wondering where it went, half torn coloring books, a couple of messed up barbies and clone troopers missing arms down at the bottom of any bag.
this bag can be that bag too.

whatever the case, this bag can handle it.
this bag is reversable if you want it to be as well. :)

this bag can carry everything you need (and a little more?) and i'm happy to announce that this pattern will be made available as a packaged pattern coming to my shop in october.(yup, this would be my second packaged pattern with the houndstooth being my first...both available in october for wholesale orders as well as individual sales in my shop)

breath...okay...two things i've been meaning to tell you...one last HUGE one left... maybe monday? ;) any guesses?
oh and i made something else with that ruffle fabric. i might show you that this week too. we'll play it by ear though. ;)
we'll talk soon.

Monday, September 12, 2011

katie's birthday is at the end of this month. she is all about little tiny things...and babies. she plays house most of the day and if she's not with her babies she's playing with tiny little babies that fit in your hand (well, when she's not bothering i mean playing with the dog.) i've worked on her kitchen (you can see a little of it here) in the past but now i'm focusing on her baby's needs.

upon closer inspection you can see that this little bag is carrying quite a load, and if she's anything like her mom...the more pockets the better to stuff crap in that you *think* you need. :/

this little bag was found at michaels in the scrap-booking section on clearance for $4.25. i've found like ones at walmart (in black and brown and pink)
when i saw it first (over a year ago) i thought "funny that looks like a diaper bag...oh my gosh that looks like a TOTALLY CUTE DIAPER BAG!!!" but i resisted. and walked away from it. many many many many times.

but with micheal's cute color and inside design, i couldn't resist this last time. i was finally ready to make this into a diaper bag for katie, and my excuse of it's her birthday month made it all that much easier. um especially when all she keeps talking about is baby rapunzel, and how much she wants her for her birthday... and any time i bring up ANYTHING else (seriously bikes and scooters even!) for her birthday she says "oh i like that! but i really want baby punzel." (which sounds a lot like "baby pretzel" to the untrained ear.)
sigh. okay we'll get that doll, with a ton of hair that will look like a rat's nest within a millisecond you get it...
so i went to work.
i went to target and got this cute starting kit for a diaper bag:

and i added a few other things i made like the zig zag quilt and an old cell phone i wasnt using any more...

changing pad went in first at the bottom... and we added lotion (for some reason not pictured (sorry!) but included in the collection that you get in the kit)

then the wipes and quilt...

bottles and sippy cups...

can't forget the food...

and of course the cell phone. which makes this one:

yes, well minus the cloth diapers mom is still making!
um and any other suggestions on what else? i'm thinking a cute little baby book...i'll have to think on how to execute that one.
hope she likes it as much as i do. :)